Insulation cable cutter

ABSTRACT

A hand tool for cutting through the insulation casing without injury to the wire conductors carried through the center of the cable, the device comprising a holder for securing the cable from which a portion of the cable to be skinned extends an adjustable stop for measuring the length of the cable to be skinned, and rotatable hand crank carrying a knife that is preset to a desire cutting depth through the cable, the knife accordingly cutting only through the insulation, after which the cut off insulation can be pulled off the exposed end of the cable.

United States Patent Muller INSULATION CABLE CUTTER [72] Inventor: Albert G. Muller, 84-29 247 St.,

Bellerose, N.Y. 11426 [22] Filed: Dec. 29, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 102,444

[52] US. Cl ..30/91.2 [51] Int. Cl. ..B26b 27/00 [58] Field of Search ..30/90.1, 90.2, 91.2

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 980,600 1/ 1911 Church ..30/90.2 2,456,882 12/1948 Mackey ..30/9l.2 2,735,175 2/1956 Tallman ..30/9l.2 2,752,676 7/1956 Trickle ..30/9l.2 2,871,739 2/ 1959 Granzow ..30/90.1

[ 1 Sept. 5, 1972 Primary Examiner-'Iheron E. Condon Assistant Examiner-J. C. Peters Attorney-Carl Miller [57] ABSTRACT A hand tool for cutting through the insulation casing without injury to the wire conductors carried through the center of the cable, the device comprising a holder for securing the cable from which a portion of the cable to be skinned extends an adjustable stop for measuring the length of the cable to be skinned, and rotatable hand crank carrying a knife that is preset to a desire cutting depth through the cable, the knife accordingly cutting only through the insulation, after which the cut off insulation can be pulled off the exposed end of the cable.

3 Claims, 3 Drawing figures INSULATION CABLE CUTTER This invention relates generally to cutting tools. More specifically it relates to cable cutting tools.

A principle object of the present invention is to provide a cable cutter which can quickly cut through an insulation around a bundle of electrical conductors within a cable, and which will cut through the insulation in a thorough manner without injury to the conductors.

Another object is to provide an insulation cable cutter which includes a gauge that can be specifically preset so that a particular length of insulation can be skinned from a cable, and which accordingly can serve to skin equally in length several cables one after the other.

Yet another object is to provide an insulation cable cutter which incorporates a cutting knife that may be accurately set so to cut a specific depth into the cable so to insure a thorough cutting of the cable only but not cut the brindle of electrical conductors.

Another object is to provide an insulation cable cutter which interchangably receives mandrils of different sizes so to accomodate cables of various diametrical dimensions.

Other objects are to provide an insulation cable cutter which is simple in design, inexpensive to manufacture, rugged in construction, easy to use and efficient in operation.

These and other objects will be readily evident upon a study of the following specification and the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side view of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a front end view thereof.

FIG. 3 is a side view of different sized mandrils which are interchangably securable on the device for accomodating different diameter cables.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, the reference numeral represents an insulation cable cutter according to the present invention, wherein there is a holder 11 that includes an arm 12 adaptable for being rigidly held in a persons hand or vise, and the holder including a cylinder 13 with opening 14 therethrough and into which interchangably different size of mandrils 15 are slidably receivable and secured therein by a winged set screw 16.

Each of the mandrills 15 are longer than the cylinder 13 so that they may be additionally inserted through a central opening 17 of a collar 18 formed at one end of a crank arm 19; the mandrils 15 having a diametrically enlarged flange 20 at one end for being positioned adjacent the end of the cylinder 13. A securing collar 20' fits over the end of the mandril and is secured thereto by a set screw, as shown in the drawing; the flange 20 and collar 20 on the opposite ends of the mandril thus serving to retain together the assembly of the cylinder 13 and the crank arm 19 which is fitted on the end of the cylinder.

The opposite end of the crank arm 19 has a pin 21 secured thereto upon which is mounted a freely rotatable crank handle 22.

Intermediate the opposite ends of the crank arm 19, a rearward extending lug 23 has an opening 24 through which is fitted a screw 25, the lug being positioned between a head 26 of the screw and a nut 27 threadingly engaged on the screw, the opposite end of the screw threadingly engaging a threaded opening 28 in a slide 29 slidable along the crank arm 19.

A blade 30 is secured to the slide 29 by means of a screw 31 and washer 32. An inclined cutting edge 33 on the blade 30 terminates at one end accordingly in a point 34 which points toward a central axis extending through the cylinder and mandril.

A post 35 is fitted at one end in an opening 36 on one side of the collar, the post being parallel to the axis of the mandril; the post having a slidable gauge block 37 with a central opening 38 fitted thereupon, and secured in a selected position by means of a set screw 39. An end plate 40 is affixed to the end of the block 37, the plate extending transversely across the axis of the mandril so to act as a stop for the end of a cable 41 that is to be skinned.

In operative use, a proper size mandril is selected so to suit the particular cable; the mandrel being secured to the cylinder. The gauge block is then set to the desired distance for guiding the length of the cable to be skinned. The blade is then set for the depth of the cut into the cable, by inserting a cable into the mandril] and positioning it at a rear side of the blade so that the point 34 is exactly at the base of the insulation, when the point 34 is in the position as is shown by solid lines in FIG. 2. The blade thus preset in cutting depth is however pivotable as is indicated by the phantom lines and arrow 42 of FIG. 2. With the blade pivoted out of the way to the phantom line position, the cable end is inserted up to the stop plate 40 and the crank handle is rotated while pressure against a pad 43 of the blade causes the cutting edge to make a cut 44 around the insulation to the full depth permitted, after which the insulation may be pulled off.

While certain novel features of my invention have been shown and described and are pointed out in the annexed claims, it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure U.S. Letters Patent is:

1. In an insulation cable cutter, the combination of a holder having an extending arm for being stationarily held and a hollow cylinder which is integral with one end of said arm and on an axis that is at right angle to said arm for receiving a cylindrical tubular mandril through which a cable is receivable, a crank pivotable about said mandril, said crank carrying a cutting blade for cutting the insulation from an outer side of said cable, and a gauge for guiding the position of a cut around said insulation, said crank including a collar rotatable about said mandril and a radially extending crank arm which at its outer end has a pin with a pivotable crank handle fitted thereupon for handgripping, an intermediate portion of said crank arm has a rearward extending lug integral therewith, a clearance opening through said lug, a screw fitted through said opening, a head of said screw placed adjacent one side of said lug, a nut engaged on said screw being positioned adjacent an opposite side of said lug, the opposite end said arm, said slide supporting a pivot screw which pivotally supports said cutting blade along a longitudinal intermediate portion thereof where a screw opening is provided for receiving said screw, said cutting blade including a diagonal cutting edge along one longitudinal end thereof which terminates in a point, the opposite extends across said mandril axis for serving as a stop for an end of said cable, and a set screw for securing said block on post.

3. The combination as set forth in claim 2 wherein said mandril is interchangably supported in said cylinder by different size mandrils for accomodating difierent diameter said cables. 

1. In an insulation cable cutter, the combination of a holder having an extending arm for being stationarily held and a hollow cylinder which is integral with one end of said arm and on an axis that is at right angle to said arm for receiving a cylindrical tubular mandril through which a cable is receivable, a crank pivotable about said mandril, said crank carrying a cutting blade for cutting the insulation from an outer side of said cable, and a gauge for guiding the position of a cut around said insulation, said crank including a collar rotatable about said mandril and a radially extending crank arm which at its outer end has a pin with a pivotable crank handle fitted thereupon for handgripping, an intermediate portion of said crank arm has a rearward extending lug integral therewith, a clearance opening through said lug, a screw fitted through said opening, a head of said screw placed adjacent one side of said lug, a nut engaged on said screw being positioned adjacent an opposite side of said lug, the opposite end said arm, said slide supporting a pivot screw which pivotally supports said cutting blade along a longitudinal intermediate portion thereof where a screw opening is provided for receiving said screw, said cutting blade including a diagonal cutting edge along one longitudinal end thereof which terminates in a point, the opposite end of said blade having an extending pad for abutment with a side of said handle which thus serves as a stop against the pivot force on said blade caused by the pressure of said blade point as it cuts through said insulation while said crank is rotated.
 2. The combination As set forth in claim 1 wherein a post parallel to an axis of said mandril is secured to a front side of said collar, said post slidably supporting a slide block having an end plate secured thereto which extends across said mandril axis for serving as a stop for an end of said cable, and a set screw for securing said block on post.
 3. The combination as set forth in claim 2 wherein said mandril is interchangably supported in said cylinder by different size mandrils for accomodating different diameter said cables. 